Monday, January 25, 2010

Dear Wilpons,I was reading a post by Matt Cerrone on Metsblog.com today about Daniel Murphy, and it got me excited to watch him play this season. In an era where athletes are so concerned about their contracts and the fans are focused on power numbers, I’m encouraged to see a guy who plays the game with the heart and passion of a little leaguer and the determination of a guy who just wants to win. Murphy talked about his off-season workout regimen, his efforts to improve defensively, and how he sees himself helping the Mets. If you haven’t read the article yet, I highly recommend you go here: http://www.metsblog.com/2010/01/25/qa-daniel-muprhy-talking-1b-keith-and-workouts/

People think of first baseman, and immediately what pops into their head is guys like Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, or (back in the day) Frank Thomas. I remember growing up watching baseball and seeing Frank Thomas at the plate. The guy looked like a monster, and when he got a hold of a pitch you knew immediately that it was a home run. And it’s because of these guys that people assume that in order to be a successful first baseman you have to tower over the other guys on the field and hit 30 homers a season. But that’s not always the case. There was another first baseman who stood out to me while I was growing up as well: Mark Grace. He wasn’t huge, he never had more than 17 home runs in a season, but he came to the ballpark and gave 110 percent every day and you could tell by the way he played that he loved the game. I see a lot of that in Daniel Murphy.

Let’s put aside the fact that they’re both 6’2” and they’re both lefty bats and focus on stats. Mark Grace won rookie of the year at the age of 24 with a .296 batting average, 60 walks, 57 runs batted in, 144 hits, 23 doubles, 3 triples, and 7 home runs in 134 games. At the same age, Daniel Murphy played his first full season in the bigs with a batting average of .266, 69 walks, 63 runs batted in, 135 hits, 38 doubles, 4 triples, and 12 home runs in 155 games. You know what? Put the numbers aside and just find a tape of mark grace playing baseball and compare it to the way Daniel Murphy plays. They both run out every grounder, they both sprint out to the field every inning, they both love the game.

Here’s hoping when it’s all said and done that they’ll both have similar careers.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

We (the fans) are starting to get REALLY frustrated. I can understand not wanting to spend the money to get John Lackey, that was a business decision. I had to be convinced by a friend and fellow Mets fan that letting Jason Marquis get away wasn't the worst thing in the world, but I've made my peace with that. Even when the Giants got Bengie Molina for less than $5M for ONE YEAR, I convinced myself it was best for the team. But why...why, why, why, why would you trade a decent relief pitcher for Gary Matthews Jr.?

When I first heard the Mets were involved in a trade for GMJ, I was THRILLED because I thought "we're trading Castillo for GMJ and then we're going to sign Hudson!" Then I heard that the trade did NOT involve Castillo, I thought "Okay well, at least it's GOT to be part of a three team deal because it can't be straight up Stokes for GMJ." We waited, and waited, and waited, and waited for the news to come out that this was something more than just a horrible trade, but at the end of the day there were millions of Mets fans staring at their computer screens or cell phones just muttering "Why?"

Why do we need Gary Matthews Jr.? He hasn't been the same player since 2006, and from all the reports I've read he's a royal P.I.T.A. in the clubhouse. And please, spare us all the garbage about Beltran getting surgery because a) he's only going to be out for 6 weeks (2 months tops) and b) we've still got Angel Pagan and Fernando Martinez. Do we REALLY need 3 center fielders to cover a span of 6 weeks? We're trying to be patient, we're trying to understand you're reasoning, but after the Bay signing Minaya said he was going to continue to work to improve the team, and trading Brian Stokes for GMJ is NOT improving the team.

I hope this is not the last move before the seasons starts...I really do.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

I started this blog because I love the Mets, and I wanted to have an outlet to say what I'm thinking, which more often than not mirrors what the majority of Mets fans are thinking. I have no idea how many (if any) people read my blog, but today I can guarantee you that I am speaking on behalf of the entire Mets fan base when I say that something's got to be done with this organization.

You are running a multi-billion dollar franchise. It's not a home business that you're running out of the spare room in your basement that doubles as a guest room when relatives come to visit. You've got more than twenty people in the Mets front office that report to you, shareholders that are following your revenue stream, and millions of fans who love this baseball team. So you'll understand why we're all up in arms over this whole Carlos Beltran surgery fiasco.

Obviously Beltran needed surgery on his knee, that's not in question. I'm not sure which of the following statements are true or false, but this is what I've heard this past week:

I heard on the radio that Beltran called Omar before the surgery to make sure he was on board, and Omar told him that he agreed and wished him luck.

Minaya told Newsday that while he DID talk to Beltran before the surgery, he did not give him the OK to go along with it.

John Ricco said that the Mets were aware that Beltran was feeling discomfort in his knee, but preferred that he continue rehabbing, despite the fact that a doctor said that surgery was the right answer.

Beltran said in a statement "the most important thing is that the surgery was a success and I plan to be back playing the game I love sooner rather than later."

I'm not going to go into conspiracy theories, but clearly someone is lying here. If that's the case, then whoever isn't telling the truth should be held accountable. If it's not a blatant lie, and it's just a matter of "Oh, I thought you talked to him" "No, I thought you talked to him", then someone still needs to be held accountable because this is no way to run a business.

When this story first broke, at first there were some people that were complaining that Beltran was the one at fault. But with everything that's happen, and the million different stories that are coming out, I can't say that I don't blame the guy for not wasting time waiting for you guys to get your acts together to go ahead and get the surgery over with.

Look, I don't know the whole story...but you guys do. The fans look to you to drive this ship in the right direction, and if the guys in charge can't get the job done then get rid of them and find some people who can.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I love sports talk radio, and I love New York sports, so it's only natural that I would love WFAN. I love driving to work listening to Boomer and Carton, and if I could watch a ball game with anyone it would probably be Joe Beningo. HOWEVER, in recent weeks it seems that Mr. Michael Francesa has taken it upon himself to draw Mets fans to his show by holding us hostage with potential Mets information. Normally, I don't mind Mike. I think his show has gone way downhill since Mad Dog left, but under normal circumstances I can tolerate him. But ever since the day he announced that he had some big Mets news and later went on to break the news that the Mets were going to sign Jason Bay, it seems like he thinks he's the main source of Mets information. You know what, maybe he is. Maybe Omar and the Wilpons are feeding Mike this information and he's allowed to disperse it at his own will in an effort to hype up the fan base for the upcoming season. But come on, there's GOT to be a better way of doing it besides having Psychic Mike telling us at the top of the hour that he's got big Mets news and then making us listen to him screaming about various topics until it looks like his head is about to pop like an zit on prom night. If you've got something to tell us about the Mets, just tell us. Heck, you can even throw in your opinion if you want. And if Mike does happen to read this blog, do us a favor and get Mad Dog back.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

On behalf of Mets fans, I must tip my hat to you. You got the guy you wanted, and you got him for 4 years. When I heard Mike Francesa announce it on Tuesday, I imagined sitting in the ouwtfield stands at Citi Field and looking left to right at an outfield of Francoeur, Beltran, and Bay. Well done! Now that we're done with the formalities, let's talk baseball.

I'm excited to have this guy on our team. I got several text messages from friends of mine who live in Boston congratulating us on getting a quality ballplayer like Bay. They were all saying that the morning talk shows in Beantown were all complaining about how stupid the Red Sox were for letting him go. The one text message that I got that really encouraged me said "You're going to love this guy. He's a gamer, and he's committed to winning." I've been saying it for weeks, that's what I want. I want someone who's going to give it all he's got in order to win.

Almost all of the articles that I've been reading over the past month in regard to the debate over whether Bay or Holliday would be a better fit for the Mets said the same thing: "The Mets are convinced that Jason Bay's bat would translate well at Citi Field, and they prefer him over Matt Holliday." This is where we as fans need to trust that you guys really have done your research, and you're not just blowing smoke to make us feel better.

Oh, by the way, the offseason isn't over. Time to focus on pitching and catching. Now that we've shown people that we're not going to add more years to an offer just to get a big name, do not, I repeat, DO NOT give Bengie Molina more than 2 years. I think he'll have a decent season next year but anything after that is a gamble in my opinion. If he's so certain he'll still be a good catcher after 2 years, make him prove it and offer him a 2 year deal with a mutual option for a third. If he's still dragging his feet in 72 hours, it's time to move on to Rod Barajas. And as far as pitching is concerned, don't sign Joel Piniero unless he's bringing Dave Duncan with him.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Does anyone else think that this offseason has been A LOT like the first "Major League" movie?I know that the Wilpons and Omar Minaya aren't TRYING to lose on purpose, and they're not TRYING to finish in dead last...but the similarities are comical.What have we done so far this year:

Signed Chris Coste: A 36 year-old career backup catcher who, by his own admission, will always consider himself a Phillie.

Signed Mike Hessman: A 30 year-old career .208 hitter who's never had more than a dozen ML hits in a season.

Signed Henry Blanco: The best pickup so far this season, he's a good defensive catcher but won't help us produce runs.

Signed Clint Everts: Potential upside, but he's never played a day in the majors.

Signed Ryota Igarashi: He pitched very well in Japan, but so did Hideki Irabu.

Signed Elmer Dessens: Decent reliever, but he's pushing 40.

On the verge of signing R.A. Dickey: 35 year-old knuckleballer. It concerns me that his wikipedia picture is him doing the stat book in the stands.

Look, you will not find a more diehard Mets fan than me. I hope they run roughshod through the NL East this year. But you have to admit that the similarities are amusing.

"I've never heard of half of these guys, and the ones I do know are way past their prime."

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

I was originally going to start this post with some witty comment, but time is precious and by the time I finish this post our opportunity may be over. The point is very simple: it's time to pull the trigger on this Jason Bay trade.

Let's look at the facts:

1) We need a left fielder, and there are two very good left fielders out there named Jason Bay and Matt Holliday.

2) Matt Holliday reportedly wants to stay in St. Louis, and St. Louis reportedly has offered him 8 years. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that giving ANYBODY over 30 an 8 year contract is insane! I am hereby revoking my previous post saying that you should do whatever it takes to sign him, because I don't think having a LF enjoying his "twilight years" for $18M per year is a smart investment in 2018.

There are certain statistics that stick out to me about Jason Bay that I think would translate very well for our beloved ball club. In the last 5 years he has AVERAGED a .279 batting average, 31 home runs, and 103 RBI's, and last year he had 36 homers and drove in 119 runs. Also, the guy hit .360 with runners in scoring position. Ask any Mets fan what one of the most frustrating things is, and they'll tell you it's watching a game with a guy on second and/or third and we can't drive them in.

I heard that Omar offered him a 4-year contract, which is good news for the sole purpose of proving to us that he's not in a coma. Rumor has it that he's asking for 6 years, but locking him up until he's 37 is one year too many. Here's hoping that a 5-year deal with a club option for a 6th will get it done. That way, if he's doing well we hang onto him for another year. If not we send him packing.

Fred, Jeff: I have good news...Jason Bay is still available! Get on the horn and make it happen! Once that's done we can focus on the rest of the missing pieces, but it starts with ending this "Bay-watch".

Thursday, December 10, 2009

One of the things that the 86 Mets were known for was being a bunch of crazy, partying, drinking animals! If you haven't read the book "The Bad Guys Won! A Season of Brawling, Boozing, Bimbo Chasing, and Championship Baseball with Straw, Doc, Mookie, Nails, the Kid, and the Rest of the 1986 Mets, the Rowdiest Team Ever to Put on a New York Uniform-and Maybe the Best" I highly recommend it. I won't ruin it for you, but there's a chapter about a game against the Boston Red Sox, and within the first 2 paragraphs I read about Bobby Ojeda dropping more F-bombs than a Quentin Tarantino movie. These guys had heart. They played to win, they took losing personally, and if you read the book you'll know that they were a crazy group of guys. And what did it get them? A world championship.

The 2006 team had passion. Unfortunately they also had Aaron Heilman. Why not take a page out of the 1986 Mets book and get a little nuts? Let's look at what we've got so far:

Mike Pelfrey: The guy can pitch. He's definitely got potential, but last year he showed us that maybe not all of his dogs are barking. On September 3rd, after he was pulled in a game against the Rockies, he said he needed to get some "fresh air" so he started running laps in a the Coors Field parking lot. He later said if someone would have tried talking to him in the sixth inning he would have done something he regretted. Crazy? Check. Talent? It's in there somewhere. How about this year we unleash the beast and see what this nut job can do.

Oliver Perez: I knew something was off when Ollie showed up to his press conference after signing his new contract looking like he just rolled out of bed after a 48-hour bender. Yes he went on to have a horrible season that included talking to himself repeatedly on the mound, that sometimes led Omir Santos to go out to talk to him because he thought number 46 had called him out. Crazy? Check. Talent? It's in there somewhere...

Jose Reyes: He's not crazy, but the guy's got one heck of a personality. Combine that with the amount of time that he's missed and you've got to imagine that he's going to come out of the gates ready to have an awesome season...not to mention some fancy new dance moves

Now you have the chance to sign the craziest guy in all of baseball: Milton Bradley. My vote is that we trade Castillo for Bradley and see if we can be as crazy as the 86

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Where do I begin? There are too many things to complain about right now, but I’ll leave the tirades about “Alex Cora isn’t worth $2M per year” and “how could you sign a guy that came out and said he’ll always be a Phillie” and “why didn’t you grab Kelly Shoppach when you had the chance” to the other bloggers. Today I want to talk to you about a solid number two pitcher who’s not going to break the bank: Jason Marquis.

Jason Marquis has been pitching in the Major Leagues for 10 years. In that decade-long career, he has never been on a team that did NOT make it to the playoffs when he was in the rotation. He's not a 20 game winner, he's never won a Cy Young Award, but the guy's got heart. He loves the game, he's a great teammate and a strong presence in the clubhouse, and whatever team he plays for he gives them 110% every time. Oh, and an added bonus: he WANTS to play for the Mets.

"This (NY) is where I'm from, so to come back here and play in front of friends and family would be an honor"

-Jason Marquis, on possibly pitching for the New York Mets

This team needs a guy like that. There are already guys on the Mets who have passion (No. 5 comes to mind), but I think a guy who comes in knowing that it's an honor to don the blue and orange would do this team some good.

His stats speak for themselves. He's been nothing if not consistent, and if the last 6 seasons are any indication of what next season has in store he'll give you something around 14 wins, an ERA between the high 3's and the low to mid 4's, 30ish starts, and probably 200 innings. Add the passion, the intensity, and the desire to pitch for us, and you've got yourself a solid starter. I think it's worth a shot.